FOTD, August 11, Garden Circle

At the beginning of this summer, my church tried to plant a sunflower circle but the elements and the pests(rabbits and squirrels) were in disagreement with that happening. We were hopeful for one plant trying to make it but an early storm broke him off at the base. So I bought marigolds, daisies, and other plants to at least fill in some of the outer ring of the circle with hopes for next year. Thanks to Cee’s fun challenge, we are able to share these beauties.

We did have two sunflowers make it to ‘maturity’, but the drought stunted their growth to about five feet in height but at least they are blooming. YAY!!

They are such an interesting color, kind of burnt orangey red. The rest of the flowers in the circle are low and trying to survive from the crazy crabgrass invasion. This fall we will do a better job of laying grass and weed stopping cloth and a new layer of mulch. Enjoy some of the rest of our flowers in our circle of hope as they show their beauty to all who walk by.

A six-petaled yellow daisy. I so love the daisies and mum type flowers because they have many tiny flowers as the center.

I also love the many variations of marigolds. We put the bright yellow ones around this circle to help with insect control and to bring in brightness like the sun.

And last but by no means least, the orange and pink lantana, always a favorite. I think they are supposed to be yellow and pink but they have a definite orange hue to that yellow.

It is still just August, so plenty of time to share your flowers. Share them often to help all of us smile. A smile is the least expensive way to share kindness and joy, so smile often and always be kind.

A (silly) Sad Day

There are many things we eat in our childhood that become favorites. They remind us of fun times, favorite gatherings, and foods we prefer because that is what we are used to.

In May of 2012, I moved from the heat of the deep south to the Quad Cities of Iowa/Illinois. When we got here (I remind you it was early May) we had to dig out light sweaters for the evenings. Now that we are acclimated here, we are still in short sleeves in the 60s. It’s funny how we change. I would probably pass out in the heat of the south – oh wait, we are having that heat here in the Midwest this summer. 🥵

But the thing I miss the most is the food I grew up on. Even the taste of food when eating out (at some of the same chains) doesn’t taste the same. One of the things I get teased about here (beside my southern accent) is my preference in bread. I don’t want wheat bread, whole grain bread, or other fancy breads (although rye is pretty good with ham). I want plain white bread, but not just any white bread – but batter whipped Sunbeam bread.

The batter whipped process creates a soft smooth slice of yumminess.

When I was young, we had a Flowers’ Bakery in our town (which makes Sunbeam bread), and when you drove by there the smell would just make you want to stop the car and sniff the sir. The plant closed while I was in college but the plant in Thomasville, Ga. is still going strong.

In June when I went down to Atlanta to see my brother, I brought back four loaves of bread and put them in the freezer. I was not disappointed by the smell, taste, and texture of my memory. Sadly, yesterday, I pulled out the last loaf. 🥺

I tried looking everywhere here for this iconic bread and no stores here carry this brand. They used to, as several I have talked with remember it but now it is among the missing.

So that will be a staple for every trip south to buy this bread. I thought of buying it online but can they really guarantee its freshness and keep it from getting squashed? Do you have favorites that you remember from childhood that you can no longer find? I know for some it is certain candies.

Oh, well. I will savor this last loaf because fresh tomatoes out of the garden that are made into a sandwich using this bread…absolute heaven.

Smile and laugh with me and always remember to share the kindness bug. There are so many ways to be kind to all kinds and we need to do it often.

Always be kind!

Nature Photo Challenge #23

Denzil Nature posted a challenge about the important side of nature concerning the things we call pests – Flies. If you have not seen his site, do check it out for some amazing photos. For my addition to this post, I am including flies and other things that buzz in my yard – some louder than others.

I do have in my yard a similar fly, possibly a bottle fly, that I was surprised that they hovered around my flowers…instead of something less pleasant.

But I also have other things that fly, maybe hoping to catch a less cautious bottle fly.

Then there are many swirling bees enjoying the nectar of my sunflowers. proof that bees don’t care if the petals are bright yellow, light yellow or no petals at all.

But my favorite flyer is not an insect, although he is not much bigger than some insects. And I don’t really have the equipment to capture him properly in photos, but still, he is a favorite – the hummingbird.

All of nature is important and has a purpose in being, so enjoy it often. And as always I remind you of another beauty in nature – kindness. For if all of us can show kindness to all of nature, kindness will continue to grow.

FOTD, August 5, Hopeful

Cee’s Flower of the Day allows you to pick most anything that grows, so today I give you hopeful.

This beautiful flower came up by accident because I forgot about it but my dog dumped the pot upside down allowing the bulb to grow by itself.

I was sad when I saw that all the flowers were gone and that no seed pods came in their place like daylilies do. I had hoped it would expand and I was willing to let it continue to spread. But upon closer inspection yesterday, I saw the buds were there, they were just now forming.

So I am excited for next spring to see how they will do. I will modify the bed giving them more ease of expansion. Nature is a magnificent force of survival that not only takes care of vegetation but also man and animals.

So enjoy all parts of nature and remember to treat it with kindness. Kindness has a beauty and power that we all need to share to help all of us enjoy natures bounty.

FOTD, August 4, Balloon Flower

Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge always gives us the opportunity to share the different flowers we see. I got hooked on these beauties last year so I planted some more this year – balloon flowers. It’s an odd name for a flower, but I am guessing they get that name from their shape right before the bloom opens, as they do look like a hot air balloon.

Once they open, they kind of look like a balloon that just burst with the pointed edges rolled back – probably more like a five pointed star.

And purple, regardless of shade, is always an acceptable color.

When enjoying the beauty of flowers, I am reminded of the beauty of kindness. It is a gift that we can share wherever we go with mankind, animals, and even plants.

Always Be kind…to all kinds.

WRITEPHOTO, Racoon

KL Caley has given us a fun photo to write about which brings back many memories of the racoons we fed in when living in the country of Florida as a child.

Dinner Time

‘Scuse me there dear friend, can you spare us a bite

My mate is quite tired while tending the tyke

And water is needed, for washing that bite

Proper washing is a must before taking a bite

Check out the directions to WRITE PHOTO and join in on the fun! If you know anything about racoons, they wash everything before they eat it of water is available.

Remember the beauty of wildlife and be kind with it. They are trying as hard as we are to survive in this crazy world.

FOTD, August 1, Bouquet

Cee’s fun Flower of the Day Challenge allows us to go in various directions so, today I give you a bouquet…

I am retired but work part-time at the church doing small things. One of our members brought in this bouquet Sunday for fellowship hour. A time after the service where we socialize with each other over coffee and sweets. Since I did not make it to service, I did not see the flowers on Sunday but they placed them in m y office for me to enjoy during the week. And Monday I walked into an amazing smell. I am including some close up shots for you to enjoy each of the individuals blooms from the bouquet. First are the Spider Lilies – the one responsible for the majority of the fragrance.

Then the hydrangeas and cluster flowers gave a supportive background for the other show-off flowers.

One of the eyecatchers I believe to be a gladiolus but regardless of it’s name, it’s color is beautiful.

But my favorite of the bouquet is a plain white lily, that really is not plain at all. It seems to be a flower in a flower in a flower. The petals a four layers thick and the yellow pollen sprinkled down them give them an amazing look. This view from the side shows you the multiple layers of ruffled elegance.

The beauty of flowers awakens inside of us a peace and calm feeling that we stop momentarily to enjoy. This beauty and peace reminds of the home that awaits us and a kindness that has been shown us throughout our lives – even during hard times. So, I challenge you to share that kindness with others and help this world be a better place.

August Colors Challenge

City Sonnet has a fun photo challenge for each day of the month where you get to share pictures as you play along. Today’s challenge is favorite color and that is a challenge in itself for I love all colors. But I think perhaps a soft creamy yellow is near the top of the list. It’s a happy color and we should always have things around us that make us happy. When I bought my house, the kitchen was a busy multi-color paisley wallpaper. Way too bust for a kitchen, so I repainted it in soft yellow to help calm the room. A kitchen should always be happy and calm because creations of deliciousness can never come from chaos.

Then you can use small accents of brighter colors to add a splash of personality. As I finished writing this post, I realized I used the wreath as a favorite color earlier this year, so I guess yellow is definitely a favorite color.

In closing, I remind you of the color of Kindness. While we think kindness has no color, it has a hue of brightness that we should share wherever we go.

FOTD, July 31, & Encouragement

Cee creates an amazing challenge using flowers with her FOTD post and many of us join in on the fun. This evening, I want to stretch that challenge with encouragement from a weed.

Due to the excessive heat we have had this summer, I have not been able to work much in my yard the last few weeks, and as usual, the weeds have taken over. But Friday I started the weed whacker and took care of business. One weed I left as it was covered in interesting looking buds and today they are opening.

You can see from my thumb how very tiny this cluster of flowers is. I took out my camera with the macro lens and got a closer shot to show you the intricacies.

Here you can see the super tiny flowers bunched together to make the cluster of color.

What I want everyone who reads this to really see and understand is that each of us is just this beautiful, just this intricate, and just this much loved as we were created. If God goes to the trouble to do this for a tiny flower, even an unwanted weed type flower, think of how much more precious you are to God when he created you in His image. So don’t let anyone tell you that you are not loved, that you are not special, or that you are not needed. Because God never makes junk, He always makes a masterpiece.

So smile knowing you are special and remember to smile and be kind to others who may not realize how special they are.

FOTD, July 26, The Peace Garden

At our church, we have several small gardens that surround the building and are taken care of by certain individuals, families, or certain classes. The Peace Garden has been the focus of one of our families that work in it at different times of the year to prune, mulch, plant and of course to enjoy. It is located on the corner by the driveway to the parking lot so it gets seen by many people – even those who do not come to our church.

The lilies in this garden are extraordinary. This crazy triple digit heat does not seem to bother them. This first one is kind of a peachy orange with a pink blush in the center of the petals and a bright yellow center. I love the ruffled edges.

The other lily in the garden is a bold maroon red with a bright yellow center.

Here we have three blooms on one stalk. Beautiful.

On the backside of this garden are happy yellow cone flowers.

There are brick walkways that wind through this small garden to help those who enjoy gardens, a way to relax and enjoy its beauty while feeling its peace.

For many, flowers and gardens have a way to reach down inside of us to help us relax and enjoy the beauty God intended. So, I remind you to enjoy the beauty around you and to always be kind. Being kind has a beauty all on its own.